ForgeCMS is presented by its author as a CMS that stores site content in Markdown and SML files in a Git repository rather than a database. The server fetches those files, caches them and renders HTML, with no separate build step or admin backend in the workflow described. Its optional modules cover features such as blogging, events, contact forms, newsletters and a shop; a feature-request page lets users propose and vote on what should be built next.
How ForgeCMS handles content
In the author’s description, ForgeCMS runs as a single Go binary. Pages are written as Markdown or SML files held in a Git repository, and the server reads that repository at request time, caches its contents and renders pages as HTML. Routes, menus and footers can also live in the repository. The author says committed changes may appear on the live site within a few minutes; that timing is an architecture claim, not an independently measured guarantee.
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This setup avoids a separate database, admin backend and build pipeline in the workflow described. It does not eliminate publishing or operations work: content still needs to be maintained in files and Git, and the server and its hosting still need to be managed.
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What the core includes
The overview describes a core that can serve site pages, menus and themes, with language folders that fall back to a default language. It also lists content elements such as sliders, cards, tables and images, YouTube embeds, and Umami analytics. The cache is intended to keep serving the last good copy if Git hosting is slow or unavailable.
These are capabilities reported in the first-party overview, not independently verified current product behavior. The file-based model may suit teams comfortable editing and versioning content in Git; readers who need a conventional visual editing interface should confirm that the available workflow meets their needs.
Optional modules described
The author lists six optional modules. Details below reflect the overview and should not be treated as a guarantee of current availability or behavior.
| Module | Capabilities described |
|---|---|
| Blog | Posts with photos, pages, an Atom feed, drafts, scheduled posts, multilingual support and share buttons that do not use third-party scripts. |
| Events | Dates and gigs, flyer thumbnails, event pages, past events and .ics export. |
| Contact form | Common field types; messages are sent by email and are not stored. |
| Newsletter | Double opt-in, Markdown mailings through a small admin page and one-click unsubscribe described as RFC 8058. |
| Shop | Physical and digital products, with payment by Ğ1 or euro bank transfer and no payment provider. |
| Feature requests | A page for proposing and voting on features; the author describes one vote per person. |
The author says order and newsletter data are stored as SML files on the server rather than in a database. That is distinct from the Git-based site-content workflow: the overview describes these module records as server-side files.
How users influence the roadmap
ForgeCMS’s feature-request page is presented as a way to submit proposals and vote on them. Art, the article’s author, writes: “The requests with the most votes get built first.” The overview reports that four of five listed requests had been completed at the time it was written: contact form, event calendar, blogging module and mailing list. An online course with lessons, video, text and saved progress remained open in that snapshot. The current voting totals and project status are not established by that account.
Hosting, licensing and price context
The author reports running the sites together on one small VPS, with a single ForgeCMS process behind Caddy for HTTPS, and says €1 per month was enough for a small site. This is the author’s example, not a general hosting requirement or a current market price; actual costs depend on provider, region, traffic and service needs.
The same overview describes the core as open source under GPLv3, with a commercial-license option for commercial use. It lists one-time module licenses at €19–€39, €139 for all six modules, and site-building services at €130 per hour or 130 Ğ1. The listing’s year is not established, so treat those as dated price claims rather than current terms. Confirm licensing, module availability and prices with the publisher before relying on them.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who should consider this approach?
ForgeCMS may be worth investigating if your publishing workflow already fits plain-text files and Git, and you want a server-rendered site without a separate database or build pipeline. Its described modules broaden the scope beyond static pages, but the overview alone does not establish whether they meet a particular site’s operational, accessibility, security or compliance requirements.
Quick Recap
- Potential fit: teams comfortable with Git-based content management that want files to be the source of truth.
- Check before adopting: how contributors edit and preview pages, how permissions and backups work, what happens when repository access fails, and whether the required modules are currently available.
- Not established here: independent performance or security testing, current support commitments, and up-to-date commercial terms.
Source: Art’s ForgeCMS overview.
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